Improvement in car-couplings



G. W. BURNETT.

CAR-COUPLING.

Patented March 28. 1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BURNETT, OF LEAVITTSBURG, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,27 l, dated March 28, 1876; application filed November 20, 1875.

To all whomv it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BURNETT, of Leavittsburg, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Oar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and complete description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of the same.

Figure l is a side view of the coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an end view.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

The nature of this invention relates to a car-coupling, and the object thereofis to elevate the coupling-link, or so direct it that it may enter the buffer-head of an approaching car without going between the cars for that purpose.

The head and draw-bar of the coupling consist of an open frame, of which Ais the top and B the bottom plates, connected to each other by an end piece, 0, and head-plate D, said plate D forming the face or front of the buffer-head. E is a tongue, pivoted to the bottom of the draw-bar at a, its pivotal hearing or fulcrum being a shoulder, b, extending across the end of the tongue, and whereby it is raised a short space above the plate B, on which it rests. The front end of the tongue is kept in position by a post, F, passing through a hole in the tongue. The peculiar shape of the front end of the tongue will be understood on examination of Fig. l, in which it will be seen that it slopes downward from the end back to 0, thereby making adepression immediately back of the front end, and form ing a shoulder whereby that part of the tongue near the post is raised above the bottom of the draw-bar, as will be seen in said Fig. 1. H is the coupling-pin and I the link, which are, or may be, the same as those in common use.

The object of the tongue is to elevate the outer end of the link so that it may readily enter the buffer head of an approaching car without going between the cars or reaching the hand in for that purpose. To this end is used a lever, J, the end of which the operator, standing at the side of the car, reaches in and inserts under the tongue, in the space d. By

means of the lever the front end of the tongue is lifted up, as indicated by the dotted lines 0 in Fig. l,which will also elevate the outer end of the link from its position shown in Fig. 1 to that indicated by the dotted lines m, and thus allow it to enter the buffer-head of the car to be coupled.

It will be obvious that by means of the tongue the link can be raised more or less, as the height of the buffer-head into which it is required may be. The lever for raising the tongue may be attached to the car by any appropriate means, or used detached therefrom and carried along with the train. The particular shape of the lever is not essential, so long as it will admit of being inserted under the tongue.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the tongue E, having its pivot at a b, and a shoulder, e, forming a lengthwise opening for the lever J.

2. The combination of the bufl'er-head A B, guide-pin F, elevating-tongue E having its pivot at a, and shoulders 12 and 'e to form a lengthwise opening, and the lever J for insertion in that opening, all operated to elevate the coupling link, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE W. BURNETT.

Witnesses:

J. H. BURRIDGE, E. M. MARTIN. 

